4e / GSL Magic Item substitutions in parcel system?

[Phoenix8008]

I'm going to be DMing an adventure out of Dungeon Magazine soon and I'm trying to fill out the treasure parcel slots ahead of time based on the character wish lists of magic items. My problem is that for the slot I have left (6th level item) I cannot find a good item for the character that needs to get the item from that slot (for best balance of items across the party).

So here is my question: Is it okay to substitute a level 5 and a level 4 item together in place of the level 6 item slot? The level 6 item is worth 1,800 gp, while the 5th is worth 1,000 gp and the 4th is worth 840 gp so the gp value is just about even.

What do you all think?

[malraux]

Originally Posted by Phoenix8008

I'm going to be DMing an adventure out of Dungeon Magazine soon and I'm trying to fill out the treasure parcel slots ahead of time based on the character wish lists of magic items. My problem is that for the slot I have left (6th level item) I cannot find a good item for the character that needs to get the item from that slot (for best balance of items across the party).

So here is my question: Is it okay to substitute a level 5 and a level 4 item together in place of the level 6 item slot? The level 6 item is worth 1,800 gp, while the 5th is worth 1,000 gp and the 4th is worth 840 gp so the gp value is just about even.

What do you all think?

Well, given that a level 6 item would just be a +2 item, whereas the 5 and 4 will be +1 with some really neat powers, its probably reasonably balanced. In general, magic items within 4 levels of the party are hard to unbalance.

[Squizzle]

The tolerances on the magic item system are loose enough that you could replace a level six item with three level five items and a lease on a local inn, and nothing terrible would happen. The long as you stay within four (or even five, if you want to play fast and loose) levels of the party, you don't have to worry. If you do manage to unbalance the system, just adjust the encounter difficulty a wee bit, and things should rapidly sort themselves out.

[Phoenix8008]

Okay, sounds good so far. What about item upgrading? I know AV says you can just pay the cash difference to upgrade an item, but what about giving an upgrade as a treasure parcel slot?

For instance, I am giving one PC a +1 Sunblade (level 4 item) early on and want to give him an upgrade for it to make it +2 in the next adventure. Again, the difference in GP cost between the level 4 item and the level 9 item is about the same cost as a level 8 item. So can I use a level 8 parcel slot to give him an upgrade for his weapon?

[Ryan_Singer]

Originally Posted by Phoenix8008

Okay, sounds good so far. What about item upgrading? I know AV says you can just pay the cash difference to upgrade an item, but what about giving an upgrade as a treasure parcel slot?

For instance, I am giving one PC a +1 Sunblade (level 4 item) early on and want to give him an upgrade for it to make it +2 in the next adventure. Again, the difference in GP cost between the level 4 item and the level 9 item is about the same cost as a level 8 item. So can I use a level 8 parcel slot to give him an upgrade for his weapon?

Yes. This is fine.

[Piratecat]

I do both of these, and they work perfectly. In fact, I prefer it.

[Ed_Laprade]

Or you can do the obvious: make your own item to give him. You are not slavishly constrained by what's in the books.

[Cerebral Paladin]

I agree with just about everyone else that this will be fine. You might however keep an eye on how often you do it-- if you do it repeatedly, such that characters don't have any higher level items but have bonanzas of lower level items, they might fall slightly behind the power curve. But using treasure parcels to give item upgrades should cut the same way, so you'll likely be fine.